The Beginning of Everything

by Robyn Schneider

[Sam@WLABB]

Almost everyone has experienced that moment in their life, when they stopped to take personal inventory and reflect on themselves. Ezra's moment came in the form of a car accident. He had been BMOC: dating one of the prettiest girls in the junior class, class president, varsity tennis, honors and AP classes, with a BMW. When leaving a party at the end of junior year, a black SUV rams into his roadster and never looks back. When Ezra returns to school in the fall, he is left with a sense of identity theft. He no longer understands who he is or where he fits in. This was the beginning to everything, which would shape his character and help guide him on his path to self-discovery.

I loved this book. It is filled with so many colorful and interesting characters. Ezra, our poor struggling narrator, who is trying to move on with his life and deal with the loss of who he thought he was. Cassidy, the mysterious new girl, who ignites a flame in Ezra, encouraging him to function outside of other people's expectations. Toby, his estranged childhood friend, who understands that our real friends are the ones who are there for us at our lowest points.

This book was honest, funny, sad, tragic. I felt all sorts of emotions. The book is filled with philosophical musings, literary discussions, mock debates and heart-to-heart discussions. I kept wanting to find out what was going to happen next and at the end, I wanted more.